How did they restart the cruise ships after the global cruising shutdown?

Getting the Cruise Ships up and running again is a massive job, it takes hundreds of people to restart a cruise ship. Lots of work is being done right now - behind the scenes - to prepare the Cruise Ships to restart cruising again. So what exactly will the crew need to do to ready the cruise ships to return to passenger service?This video explains in detail. -- ▶ SUBSCRIBE for regular cruise ship updates & maritime history: https://bit.ly/38BR2DK ▶ READ: My Maritime History books: https://bit.ly/3nISs3w (not sponsored) ▶ COLOUR IN: Our Cunard or P&O Colouring Book: https://bit.ly/3nISs3w (not sponsored) ▶ CHECK OUT my Cunard history website: https://www.chriscunard.com/ ▶ LEARN MORE about me: https://www.chrisframe.com.au/ ▶ PHOTO SUPPORT Andrew Sassoli-Walker https://www.solentphotographer.com/ (thumbnail currently displayed) and Alison Morton (alt. thumbnail). -- In this video you will learn: ▶ How cruise lines will re-crew their ships: Firstly, cruise ships will start welcoming back larger numbers of crew. All of the laid up cruise ships currently have a small team of officers, technical crew and essential deck crew aboard. This includes bridge officers, engineers, housekeeping, chefs and maintenance crew, all under the command of a Captain. ▶ How many crew are currently aboard vs how many are needed: As a rule of thumb, there’s a round 100-120 crew aboard a laid up cruise ship. But an operational cruise ship requires a lot more people – with some crews numbering in the thousands! As such, during the reactivation process larger teams of galley crew, housekeeping staff, and technical staff will return, as well as hospitality teams and entertainment staff. ▶ Will crew be vaccinated? Some cruise lines have already indicated that their crew will be vaccinated before returning to the ships. With the International Maritime Organisation deeming merchant navy crew as “essential workers”, cruise ship crew should – in theory – get earlier access to vaccines. ▶ What training will returning crew require? COVID protocols have changed a lot since the cruise ships went into layup in March 2020, so the cruise lines will ensure crew are up to speed with the new rules. Restaurant staff, for example, will be trained on the new service styles that many cruise lines have adopted – such as replacing buffets with table service. All returning crew will undertake intensive safety training – which is particularly important given most crew would not have been at sea for over a year. And some will no doubt also be new to the industry. ▶ What will be required to get the cruise ships certified to return to cruising? While the cruise ships have been laid up, they’ve largely remained “in class”. Cruise ships continued to be subject to an annual inspection by the flag state – the country where the ship is registered. These inspections ensured the ships continued to meet the required sea worthiness and safety standards... (learn about Flag of Convenience here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmTwIFEVGFI) The cruise ship’s Passenger Ship Safety Certificates would have reflected the minimum essential crew aboard. ▶ What mechanical and maintenance work is needed? Mechanically, the cruise ships have remained “switched on” – so a return to service won’t necessarily require lengthy or expensive dry-docking or major shore side work. The exception here is if a mandatory dry-docking was already scheduled – which usually takes place every 4-5 years and is dependent on the age of the ship and the inspection protocols that cover it, so you may see some cruise ships heading to dry dock before resuming service. ▶ What about getting ready to serve food again? Most cruise ships have multiple galleys. Most of these giant kitchens have been mothballed. Reactivating them is quite a complex process, which involves testing the intricate steam heating and cooking systems, as well as ensuring all CO2 fire suppression systems, ducting, ventilation and other safety devices are working as they should be. ▶ What other little known tasks will be needed? Throughout their time in lay up, teams of crew have ensured that all toilets have been flushed, and faucets opened weekly, so cabin door locks have been tested each time this process has been undertaken. Thousands of light bulbs, power-points, televisions, thermostats, phone connections, and passenger Wi-Fi points will be tested to ensure everything is ship shape and ready for guest use again. -- Restart Icon: Nikki Santilli CC. By Attribution via Adobe Spark / The Noun Project. Line Icon: Dilon Choudhury CC By Attribition via The Noun Project Music: YouTube Audio Thumbnail Arrow: Jesse Pinkman CC By Attribution via Adobe Spark. #cruisenews #cruiseline #cruiseship #cruiserestart